William II | king of England | Britannica.com king of England Alternative Titles: Guillaume le Roux, William Rufus William II Francis Bacon, Viscount Saint Alban William II, byname William Rufus, French Guillaume Le Roux (born c. 1056—died Aug. 2, 1100, near Lyndhurst, Hampshire, Eng.), son of William I the Conqueror and king of England from 1087 to 1100; he was also de facto duke of Normandy (as William III) from 1096 to 1100. He prevented the dissolution of political ties between England and Normandy, but his strong-armed rule earned him a reputation as a brutal, corrupt tyrant. Rufus (“the Red”—so named for his ruddy complexion) was William’s third (second surviving) and favourite son. In accordance with feudal custom, William I bequeathed his inheritance, the Duchy of Normandy, to his eldest son, Robert II Curthose; England, William’s kingdom by conquest, was given to Rufus.

William II, drawing by Matthew Paris from a mid-13th-century manuscript; in the British Library … Reproduced by permission of the British Library Nevertheless, many Norman barons in England wanted England and Normandy to remain under one ruler, and shortly after Rufus succeeded to the throne, they conspired to overthrow him in favour of Robert. Led by the Conqueror’s half brother, Odo of Bayeux , Earl of Kent, they raised rebellions in eastern England in 1088. Rufus immediately won the native English to his side by pledging to cut taxes and institute efficient government. The insurgency was suppressed, but the king failed to keep his promises. Consequently, a second baronial revolt, led by Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland, broke out in 1095. This time William punished the ringleaders with such brutality that no barons dared to challenge his authority thereafter. His attempts to undermine the authority of the English church provoked resistance from St. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury , who, defeated, left the country for Rome in 1097; Rufus immediately seized the lands of Canterbury.

Meanwhile, Rufus was engaged in military operations in Scotland, Wales, and particularly in Normandy. In 1091 he compelled King Malcolm III of Scotland to acknowledge his overlordship. Malcolm revolted in November 1093, but Rufus’ forces quickly killed him near Alnwick, Northumberland. Thereafter, Rufus maintained the Scottish kings as vassals, and in 1097 he subjugated Wales. William Rufus’ chief interest, however, lay in the recovery of Normandy from the incompetent Robert. After waging war on Normandy for seven years (1089–96), Rufus reduced his brother to the role of a subordinate ally. When Robert left for a crusade in 1096, he mortgaged his kingdom to Rufus, who quickly added Maine to his possessions. In 1100 Rufus was shot in the back with an arrow and killed while hunting in the New Forest in Hampshire. The incident was probably an assassination, and Rufus’ alleged slayer, Walter Tirel, lord of Poix in Ponthieu, may have been acting under orders from the king’s younger brother, Henry.

Henry promptly seized the English throne as King Henry I. Learn More in these related articles: Death of a king deep in the Forest (From Daily Echo) Death of a king deep in the Forest William Refus, the king shot by an arrow while hunting in the New Forest. 0 comments THE most famous incident in the New Forest ’s history is described in just a single sentence in an Anglo-Saxon history book. “On the morrow of Lammas, King William at the hunt was shot dead with an arrow by one of his own men, and after brought to Winchester and buried.” Red-haired William Rufus, third son of the Conqueror of 1066, met his sudden end on August 2, 1100. The event did not meet with universal lamenting, for his strength as a monarch was not matched by his popularity. “His vices were branded on his face,” wrote William of Malmesbury, the foremost historian of the 12th century, a few years later. “He was small and thick-set and ill-shaped, yet having enormous strength.

His face was redder than his hair and his eyes were of two different colours.” Harsh and fierce The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says he was harsh and fierce with everyone, greedy and unjust, and susceptible to advice from evil men. “In his days all justice decline,” adds the history. William Rufus was stag hunting, his favourite pastime, on the day he died, but the exact place and circumstances are open to dispute. Canterton Glen, a short distance from Stoney Cross is the most likely location and it was here that a three-sided stone pillar was erected in 1745 to commemorate the event. “Here stood the oak tree on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William II, surnamed Rufus, on the breast of which stroke he instantly died,” said the inscription. The stone, erected by John, Lord Delaware, became a target for Georgian vandals and relic hunters and by 1841 had acquired the inscribed iron casing which remains its suit of armour today.

It is said that on the night before his death, William Rufus dreamt of a stream of blood spurting from his chest, flowing up to heaven and obscuring the light of the sun. Half the monks and priests in Christendom seem also to have had prophetic dreams. According to William of Malmesbury, the king was persuaded not to hunt the next morning on account of one such vision. But after lunch he went into the Forest with a few companions, including his younger brother Henry and a visitor from France, Walter Tyrrell, Count of Poix. As the day wore on, the group split up, as usual on a hunting trip, leaving the king alone with Tyrrell. The evening sun was low in the sky when William shot at a stag which passed before him. He wounded the animal, but not fatally, and shielded his eyes from the sun to watch it run on. Seeing the king otherwise engaged, Tyrrell considered himself free to fire at a second animal which suddenly appeared. Some say the arrow glanced a tree, some that it glanced the stag, some that it glanced nothing, but all say that it hit William in the chest.

According to William of Malmesbury, the king uttered not a word but broke off the shaft of the arrow before falling on the remains, which hastened his death. Tyrrell rode off at speed across the New Forest, heading west and crossing the Avon at a spot near Ringwood which is still known as Tyrrell’s Ford . From there he made his way to the coast and returned to France while a charcoal burner called Purkiss carted the king’s body to Winchester. Tyrrell’s hasty exit has been taken as evidence of an assassination plot, but the murder theory is speculative. Hunting accidents were not uncommon and similar ones in the New Forest had already despatched William’s brother, Richard and a nephew, also Richard. Medieval writers, without exception, saw the king’s death as an accident or, at worst, the result of reckless shooting by the unfortunate Walter Tyrrell. With William dead, younger brother Henry hastened to Winchester to claim the throne ahead of his less able brother, Duke Robert of Normandy, who was on a crusade.

New Forest National Park, England -- National Geographic New Forest National Park, England View Images Trees are the stars in the New Forest, home to 500-year-old oaks and a yew that may be close to 1,000. Photograph by Greg Choppen, Your Shot Name: New Forest National Park Location: England Size: 219 square miles (567 square kilometers) Did You Know? • Ancient and Unchanged William the Conqueror declared this area his new hunting ground, or “Nova Foresta,” back in 1079 and romped these woodlands and fields in pursuit of deer and boar. He also established a system by which verderers (judges), agisters (stockmen), and commoners (land users) manage the forest and maintain an ancient landscape that has remained remarkably unchanged for nearly a thousand years. • Rare Forest The park is known for its primeval forest, a rarity in Britain, but only half of its area is wooded. New Forest is also home to heather-blanketed heaths, lawns, farmland, and even coastal marshes and mudflats.

• Prized Ponies Many people live in the New Forest but its most famous inhabitants are 3,000 four-legged locals known as the New Forest Ponies. These animals are free to roam where they will, as they have for centuries, but they are actually owned by commoners with rights of pasture in the park. This unique pony breed traces its lineage back nearly a thousand years. • Shipbuilding Legacy The forest is also home to Buckler’s Hard, an 18th-century shipbuilding village on the Beaulieu River where local oaks were crafted into ships that served in the fleet Admiral Lord Nelson led to victory at Trafalgar. Some Middle Eastern countries once imported New Forest conifers to become masts for their traditional dhows. • Wild With Flowers The park is home to some 700 wildflower species, about a third of Britain ’s total, and 2,700 different fungi. Deer, newts, bats, and all three native British snakes live here, including the adder—Britain’s only poisonous snake. • Rufus Stone William the Conqueror’s son, King William Rufus (William II), was killed while hunting in the New Forest in 1100.

The king was slain by an arrow, whether by accident or by design, and the spot where he supposedly fell is now marked by the Rufus Stone. How to Get There Regular trains and buses run to New Forest, which is only about 90 minutes from London. Brockenhurst is the park’s main rail center. Local trains also run to Ashurst, Beaulieu Road, and Sway. When to Visit During summer, visitors are able to take advantage of the New Forest Tour—a system of double-decker, open-top buses that prowl the park’s countryside, coastline, and villages. Visitors can hop on and off whenever they like and bring bikes along for the ride. How to Visit Saddle up and enjoy one of the most popular ways to explore the New Forest—by horse. A variety of shops and stables cater to experts and greenhorns alike and all offer a fantastic way to see the forest as William the Conqueror once did.

Comment on This Story The Death of William Rufus | History Today The Death of William Rufus Email August 2nd, 1100 The fullest contemporary account of the death of William II of England, while hunting in the New Forest, comes from William of Malmesbury, a monk who was the leading chronicler of his day. He says that the King had an ominous dream the night before and felt uneasy, but in the afternoon he set out into the forest with a few companions. One of them was a Frenchman named Walter Tirel, Lord of Poix, a close friend of the King and the only one who stayed with him when the party scattered in the chase. The King shot an arrow at a stag, wounded it and shielded his eyes with his hand against the rays of the declining sun to watch where it went. At this point another stag burst on the scene and Tirel impetuously fired at it. He missed and, entirely unintentionally, his arrow pierced William’s chest. The King immediately broke off the shaft which was sticking out of his body, but then collapsed and fell on the rest of the arrow, driving it further in.

Tirel rushed to him, but finding the King unconscious and beyond aid, leapt on his horse and fled for dear life. Want the full article and website archive access? Already a member? Log in now King William II Rufus (1087 - 1100) - ArtiFact :: Free Encyclopedia of Everything Art, Antiques & Collectibles Picture Credit: National Portrait Gallery King William II (‘Rufus’) after Unknown artist line engraving 3 1/8 in. x 2 3/4 in. (78 mm x 71 mm) plate size; 3 3/4 in. x 3 1/8 in.

(94 mm x 78 mm) paper size acquired Unknown source, 1957 Name: King William II Rufus Born: c.1056 at Normandy Parents: William I and Matilda of Flanders Relation to Elizabeth II: 24th great-granduncle House of: Normandy Ascended to the throne: September 9, 1087 Crowned: September 26, 1087 at Westminster Abbey Married: Unmarried Died: August 2, 1100 at New Forest, Hampshire Buried at: Winchester Reigned for: 12 years, 10 months, and 22 days Succeeded by: his brother Henry King of England from 1087, the third son of William (I) the Conqueror. He spent most of his reign attempting to capture Normandy from his brother Robert (II) Curthose , Duke of Normandy. His extortion of money led his barons to revolt. Malcolm II of Scotland twice invades England in 1091 and 1093 before Malcolm is defeated and killed at the Battle of Alnwick.

William also had to deal with rebellions in Northumbria and along the Welsh border. He was killed in 1100 while hunting in the New Forest, Hampshire, and was succeeded by his brother Henry I. The future William II, third son of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders, was born in Normandy in around 1056 and was educated by the saintly Lanfranc. Little is known of William’s childhood, although Orderic Vitalis relates an incident when the young William and his brother Henry, bored with playing dice, decided to create mischief instead, and poured stinking water on their elder brother, Robert Curthose , from an upper gallery to the great delight of them both. A scuffle ensued with the fiery tempered Robert, which their father was forced to break up. Robert Curthose rebelled against their father William the Conqueror and attempted to take Rouen. William remained loyal to his father and fought by his side, he was was by his father’s side, as was his brother Henry, at his death in Rouen in 1087, Robert was conspicuously absent.

In his will, William the Conqueror left England to what was believed to be his favourite son, William Rufus, Normandy he bequeathed to his eldest son, Robert. To the youngest, Henry, he left a sum of money. An elder brother, Richard, had been killed whilst hunting in the New Forest. William was a thick set and muscular man, had a florid and choleric complexion, from which derived his nickname ‘Rufus’, red hair and eyes of different colours. He spoke with a stutter. On his accession to the throne, William II was originally content to be advised by the saintly Anselm. Initially enjoying the favour of the English people, his first act as king was to distribute part of the royal treasure to the monasteries, churches and the poor for the benefit of his father’s soul. Rebellion broke out in favour of his elder brother, Robert, now Duke of Normandy, supported by his powerful uncles, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and Robert of Mortain. The King received strong support from his English subjects and retook the rebel strongholds of Pevensey, Rochester and Tonbridge.

Anselm of Bee Rufus invaded Normandy in 1091, taking large areas of the Dukedom from Robert. Peace was eventually made between the warring sons of the Conqueror and together they embarked on a campaign to win back Maine and Cotentin from their youngest brother, Henry, After a siege which lasted fifteen days, Henry was forced to capitulate and surrender the Cotentin. Rufus began to display uncontrolled tyranny along with his chief justiciar, the despised Ranulf Flambard. Further rebellion against his rule broke out in 1095, lead by Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northuberland, which was put down with severity. William forced Malcolm Canmore, King of Scots to accept his overlordship. Malcolm lead an uprising against him in 1093, but was treacherously killed at Alnwick. Rufus and Religion Unusual for his time, William II was not a devout son of the church but a sceptic in the matter of religion who held the church in no reverence.

He drew the strong disapproval of the church through his flaunted homo-sexuality and blatant cynicism of religion and through his practice of plundering bishoprics as soon as they fell vacant. Male fashions under Rufus became extravagant and effeminate, much to the disgust of disapproving churchmen. Having kept the see of Canterbury vacant for four years, while he appropriated its revenues, Rufus appointed the devout and learned Anselm of Bec, (portrayed right), to be Archbishop. The pair soon fell into dispute on several issues. A council was called at Rockingham in 1095 to deal with the matters of contention. Anselm appealed to the Pope, arguing that as Archbishop he could not lawfully be dealt with in a secular court. The King proceeded to harass the Archbishop to the point where he could tolerate no more and in 1097 took ship for the continent, leaving Rufus to plunder his Archbishopric and profit further. The king’s feckless brother, Robert Curthose, pawned the Duchy of Normandy to him for ten thousand marks to fund an intended crusade to the Holy Land.

The taxes further imposed on his groaning subjects to raise this amount caused much discontent and did not aid William’s waning reputation with the English people. He was further disliked for his rigid enforcement of the cruel and highly unpopular forest laws, introduced by his father, which inflicted the death penalty for killing the King’s deer. Like his father, the Conqueror, he was said to love the chase beyond all measure. Contemporary Views on William Rufus The Anglo-Saxon ChronicleThe Anglo-Saxon Chronicle puts forward contemporary views of William II:- ‘He was very harsh and fierce in his rule over his realm and towards his followers and to all his neighbours and very terrifying. Influenced by the advice of evil councillors, which was always gratifying to him, and by his own covetousness, he was continually exasperating this nation with depredations and unjust taxes. In his days therefore, righteousness declined and every evil of every kind towards God and man put up its head. Everything that was hateful to God and to righteous men was the daily practice in this land during his reign. Therefore he was hated by almost all his people and abhorrent to God.

This his end testified, for he died in the midst of his sins without repentence or atonement for his evil deeds.’ Peter of Blois…thunders terrifying the earth, lightnings and thunderbolts most frequent, deluging showers without number, winds of the most astonishing violence, and whirlwinds that shook the towers of churches and levelled them with the ground. The Death of William Rufus William went hunting in the New Forest, probably near Brockenhurst on 2 August 1100. In what was described as a ‘hunting accident, he was killed when an arrow penetrated his lung, the circumstances of the incident are unclear. The arrow was fired by a nobleman named Walter Tirel, the earliest mention of the event is in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which blandly records that William was “shot by an arrow by one of his own men”. Later chroniclers contain the name of Tirel, along with further details.

The Rufus Stone in the New Forest which marks the site of his death The fullest contemporary account of the incident was written by the monk William of Malmesbury, who states that the King had an ominous dream the night before which led him to feel uneasy, but nevertheless set out into the forest for a days hunting with a few companions. The party spread out as they chased their prey, Walter Tirel was the only one who stayed with the king when the party scattered in the chase. The King fired an arrow at a stag, which wounded it and shielded his eyes with his hand against the rays of the low sun to spot where it ran. Just at this point another stag appeared on the scene and Tirel fired at it. He missed and his arrow pierced William’s chest. The King is said to have broken off the shaft which was protruding from his chest, but collapsed and fell on the remainder of the arrow, which drove it in further. Tirel is reported to have rushed to his aid, but found him unconscious and beyond help.

The first record of any location more exact than the New Forest comes from John Leland, who, writing in 1530, stated that the king died at Thorougham, a placename which has since fallen into disuse but was probably located at what is now Park Farm on the Beaulieu estates. William’s body was left where he fell. His younger brother, Henry, who was present at the hunt, departed in haste to seize the treasury at Winchester, aided by the de Clare brothers, Gilbert and Richard, Richard’s daughter Adelize was the wife of Walter Tirel. He then travelled to London, where he was hastily crowned within day. The body of the former king was found by a local charcoal burner named Purkis and a few peasants who carried the blood stained corpse to Winchester in a horse drawn cart and he was buried under the cathedral tower there. When its badly built tower crashed to the ground the following year, there were many in that superstitious age who perceived it to be the judgement of God upon William Rufus. Whether the shot was accidental or not, Tirel panicked and fled to France.

Over the proceeeding centuries, the accusation that one of William’s enemies may have had a hand in the event has repeatedly been made, chroniclers of the time point out that Walter Tirel was renowned as a keen bowman, and thus was unlikely to have loosed such an shot. William’s brother Henry, who was among the hunting party that day, benefited directly from William’s death, shortly thereafter being crowned king. Modern scholars have reopened the question and some have found the assassination theory credible or compelling, but the theory is not universally accepted. Opinion remains divided on whether his death was premeditated murder or merely an unfortunate accident. The “Rufus Stone” in the New Forest marks the spot where he is said to have been killed. The claim that this is the location of William’s death appears to date from no earlier than the seventeenth century, when Charles II visited the forest. At that time the most popular account of William’s death involved the fatal arrow deflecting off a tree; and during Charles II’s visit he appears to have been shown the tree. The tree in question was cut down and burned during the eighteenth century and later in that century the Rufus stone was erected.

The inscription on the Rufus Stone reads:- ‘Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100. King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis[e] to take the king’s body to Winchester Cathedral on his cart., and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that city.’ Timeline for King William II Rufus The Norman Kings of England The Norman Kings of England The Norman Kings of England The Norman Kings of England William I (the Conqueror) Reign: 1066-1087 William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings As we learned in the previous chapter, William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England to seize the crown from Harold II, the man William claimed had promised to back him as the next king of England after the death of Edward the Confessor.

William's forces landed in Southern England and defeated Harold's Saxon English army at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066. King Harold was killed on the Battlefield, according to the Bayeux Tapestry, he was shot in the eye with an arrow. William had defeated Harold, but he now had to subdue a population of 2 million English with an invasion force of only 7,000 men. He did this by terrorizing the English, burning homes, killing people, and destroying livestock and crops. William was crowned William I in London on Christmas Day, 1066. The English feared their new ruler, and, taking no chances, the Normans went to work building castles to protect themselves from the English. The most famous of these castles is William's Tower of London, which still stands today. William brought three things over from France that were new to the English: Stone building, the feudal system, and the French language. One example of the French influence in the English language is the word, curfew which comes from the French words courve feu, meaning cover fire. It took almost ten years for William to put down many revolts in England, especially in the north.

William was determined to find out the wealth of his new kingdom. He sent accountants into the England to check the value of people's property and items and wrote down the findings in a book called the Domesday Book. William died in France while fighting one of his enemies. He was injured while riding his horse in battle. On his death bed, William indicated that he wished that his oldest son, Robert, become the new Duke of Normandy, while his son, William should be the next king of England. This came to pass, while the youngest son, Henry, was given money to buy land. William Rufus is killed while hunting in New Forest William II (Rufus) 1087-1100 William II was a man very similar to his father. Rufus ruled England with a iron fist. He treated the English as cruelly as is father had, and kept his vassals , called barons, under his watchful eye. William Rufus loved material wealth and extravagant homes. In order to have the things he wanted, Rufus imposed heavy taxes on the English people. When there still was not enough money to fund his lifestyle, Rufus took over churches and took church money.

William Rufus had few friends, and he never married. One day in the year 1100, William Rufus was hunting with a group of Normans on his private hunting grounds called New Forest. Rufus' father, William I, had taken this land from the English people and created a personal hunting area. No English were permitted to hunt in New Forest, and the punishments for doing so were severe. Rufus set off with his friend, Walter Tyrell. However, when the hunting party gathered, the king and Tyrell were nowhere to be seen. The king was later found with a single arrow through his heart, and Tyrell, was missing. Tyrell fled to France, and always claimed that it was a hunting accident. It is possible, given how unpopular William Rufus was a king, that Tyrell assassinated the king. This remains a mystery we may never solve. Henry I (Beauclerc) 1100-1135 Henry I is ready to defend his crown Henry, the youngest son of William and Matilda, became king of England almost immediately after the death of his brother, William.

Robert, the oldest brother was just returning home from the First Crusade, a holy war called for by Pope Urban II, it was an attempt by Western Christians to take the Holy Land away from the Muslims, who had captured these lands earlier and taken them away for the Byzantine Empire. Upon his return to Normandy, a war broke out between Robert and Henry for the throne. In the end, Henry was victorious, and Robert was imprisoned by his younger brother. Henry set out to win over the people of England. He realized that his father and brother had been harsh and unpopular rulers. Henry wrote a document stating that he would do a better job protecting the people and ruling by their will. Henry's first gesture was to marry the princess of Scotland. This princess, Matilda, was a descendant of Alfred the Great. This marriage pleased the English as now they would at least have an English queen, and any children from this marriage would be Anglo-Norman. The royal couple had a son , named William Adelin, and he was the heir to the English throne. Henry was strict with his Norman barons, but kind to the English People. His reign was a success until one day, everything changed for Henry.

On November 25, 1120, the White Ship was carrying prince William Adelin home from Normandy. The people onboard were having a party, and the boat struck a rock formation that is not easily seen during high tide. White Ship sank, and prince William died. The ship's butcher was the sole survivor. No one wanted to break this bad news to the king, and it finally fell to one of the baron's young sons to deliver the news. Henry fell to the ground when he heard what had happen. It was said that he never smiled again. Henry's wife died two years before the sinking of White Ship, he was getting older, and his chances for having another son were fading. Henry called his barons together on several occasions and had them swear on oath of allegiance to his daughter, Matilda. Henry wished that she would rule England after his death. Matilda's first marriage was to the Holy Roman Emperor in Germany. The Emperor died, leaving Empress Matilda a widow. Her second marriage was to Geoffrey Plantagenet, the Count of Anjou.

Though Geoffrey was 15 years younger than Matilda, Anjou was a powerful area in Northern France, it seemed like a good political marriage for Matilda. In 1133, Matilda and Geoffrey had a son, they named him Henry after his grandfather. Now, it was king Henry's hope that his grandson would be the next king of England. Tragedy struck Henry again when in 1135, he died of indigestion after eating a plate of Lamprey eels, his favorite dish. Young Henry was only 2 years old and unable to take the throne. Many barons, who had earlier promised to back Matilda, now chose her cousin, Stephen, dead King Henry's favorite nephew, as king. Stephen claimed that as Henry lay in his deathbed, he changed his mind and wished that Stephen should succeed him as king. There were several reasons why some of the barons switched their loyalty to Stephen. Geoffrey, Matilda's husband, was the Count of Anjou, and area in France that had always been an enemy to Normandy.

With Matilda on the throne, it was feared that England would by run by Geoffrey, and that he would replace Norman barons with his friends from Anjou. Matilda was brought up in Germany, she spoke three languages fluently, but seemed out of touch with England. Stephen was easy going, while Matilda was as strong-willed as her father. Some Norman barons felt they could get away with more with Stephen as King, virtually running their own mini-kingdoms. Stephen of Blois 1135-1154 Matilda controlled the west (blue) while Stephen controlled the east (red). There was only one major battle during the Anarchy, at Lincoln, which is located about 125 miles north of London. Stephen's reign was troubled by a civil war between the barons backing him against those who backed Matilda's claim to the throne. This war between the cousins is known as the Anarchy. Anarchy means a time of lawlessness, when no one seems to be in charge. Most of the battles during the Anarchy were castle sieges , with either Matilda, or Stephen, cornered in a castle and surrounded by enemy forces.

Both Matilda and Stephen were captured during the Anarchy . When Stephen captured Matilda, he treated her with respect and hospitality. When Matilda captured Stephen after the Battle of Lincoln on February 2, 1141, she threw him in a cold, damp, dungeon. After the Battle of Lincoln, Matilda raced to London , where she proclaimed herself "Lady of the English." Matilda's victory was short-lived, because the people of London chased her out of town. She released Stephen in exchange for Robert, her half-brother, who had been captured by forces loyal to Stephen. Matilda escapes Oxford Castle during the Anarchy The Anarchy continued until the year 1153, when Eustace, Stephen's son and heir, died. Stephen signed the Treaty of Wallingford, that stated that Stephen would rule England until his death, and the crown would pass to Matilda's son, Henry. Two years later, Stephen died, and Henry became King Henry II of England. Stephen may have been a kind and considerate man, but he was a failure as a king.

During his reign, the English fought a bitter civil war, the poor suffered greatly, and the barons did whatever they pleased, hiding behind castle walls. There was no law or order throughout the kingdom. Rufus Stone • The New Forest Landmark or Historical Rufus Stone stands as a monument to the spot where King William The Second, surname Rufus was shot by an arrow and killed on the second of August 1100 while on a hunting trip. Near to the Sir Walter Tyrell Inn in the New Forest. The Rufus Stone The original stone that marked the location was clad in iron in 1841 to make it a more “durable memorial”. The unpopular king was killed by the wayward arrow of Sir Walter Tyrell whilst out hunting deer . Allegedly he aimed for a stag, but the arrow glanced off an oak tree before finding the chest of William Rufus . Visit the Rufus Stone Today, the Rufus Stone is an idyllic picnic spot, found just off the A31. The location is well sign-posted and has a Forestry Commission car park.

OS Grid Reference: SU 271 126 The Death of William Rufus The English chronicler Orderic Vitalis describes the preparations for the hunt: ‘…an armourer came in and presented to [William] six arrows. The King immediately took them with great satisfaction, praising the work, and unconscious of what was to happen, kept four of them himself and held out the other two to Walter Tyrrel… saying ‘It is only right that the sharpest be given to the man who knows how to shoot the deadliest shots.’ The three sides of the Rufus Stone The memorial is faced on three sides by inscriptions: Face One “Here stood the oak tree on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell at a stag glanced and struck King William The Second, surnamed Rufus on the breast, on which he instantly died, on the second day of August AN No 1100” Face Two “That the spot where an Event so Memorable might not hereafter be forgotten; The enclosed stone was set up by John Lord Delaware who had seen the Tree growing in this place.” “This stone having been much mutilated, and the inscriptions on each of its three sides defaced.

This more Durable Memorial with the original inscriptions was erected in the year 1841 by Wm Sturges Bourne Warden” Face Three ” King William The Second, surnamed Rufus being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church of that city.” A mysterious death We will probably never know for certain why Rufus was killed. Nor can we be certain where it took place. New Forest historian Arthur Lloyd believes that Rufus was slain at Througham, on the south coast near Beaulieu . Sir Walter Tryell Inn The Sir Walter Tyrell Inn public house stands an arrow shot away from the Rufus Stone memorial. Pictures of the Rufus Stone View some images of the Rufus Stone. Address William II of England, Death in the New Forest William II of England : biography c.

1060 - 2 August 1100 The inscription on the Rufus Stone reads: Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100. King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis to take the king's body to Winchester Cathedral on his cart.,Hollister Henry I pp. 102–103 and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that city. image:Rufus_Stone.jpg|The Rufus Stone image:Rufus stone side1.JPG|The Rufus Stone (side 1) image:Rufus stone side2.JPG|The Rufus Stone (side 2) image:Rufus stone side3.JPG|The Rufus Stone (side 3) Death in the New Forest The king went hunting on 2 August 1100 in the New Forest, likely near Brockenhurst.

He was killed by an arrow through the lung, but the circumstances remain unclear. The arrow was shot by a nobleman named Walter Tirel, and, although the description of events was later embroidered with more information,Barlow William Rufus pp. 420–423 the earliest statement of the event was in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which noted that the king was "shot by an arrow by one of his own men".Quoted in Barlow William Rufus p. 421 Later chroniclers added the name of the killer – Walter Tirel, and a number of other details which may or may not be true. The first mention of any location more exact than the New Forest comes from John Leland writing in 1530 who stated that the king died at Thorougham, a placename which has since fallen into disuse but was probably located at what is now Park Farm on the Beaulieu estates. William's body was abandoned by the nobles at the place where he fell. William's younger brother, Henry, hastened to Winchester to secure the royal treasury, then to London, where he was crowned within days, before either archbishop could arrive.

William of Malmesbury in his account of William's death stated that the body was taken to Winchester Cathedral by a few countrymen. To the chroniclers – men of the Church – such an 'act of God' was a just end for a wicked king. Over the following centuries, the obvious suggestion that one of William's enemies may have had a hand in this extraordinary event has repeatedly been made: chroniclers of the time point out themselves that Walter was renowned as a keen bowman, and thus was unlikely to have loosed such an impetuous shot. Moreover, William's brother Henry, who was among the hunting party that day, benefited directly from William's death, shortly thereafter being crowned king. Modern scholars have reopened the question and some have found the assassination theory credible or compelling,Grinnell-Milne Killing of William Rufus but the theory is not universally accepted.Barlow William Rufus pp. 408–432 William's remains are in Winchester Cathedral, scattered among royal mortuary chests positioned on the presbytery screen, flanking the choir. His skull appears to be missing but some long bones may remain.

Question: Which English king was shot by an arrow while hunting in the New Forest in 1100?
Answer: William II